The Rejected
by Warrior Nun
Summary: Aang feels so alone after realizing that he is truly alone - he's truly the last airbender. But all that changes when a mysterious blond man appears...and Aang's world is turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1: The Unsettling Peace

The plot bunnies are out to get me…I know they are…I can feel it in my bones! One even got the gall to bit me in the ass while watching Avatar: The Last Airbender! Oh, well…

Once again, I have to make another crossover with Saiyuki. And this time, this takes place in the Avatar universe. To be honest, I was planning to make this Book 4: Air…but I think someone else got there before me…my loss…

Anyways, please enjoy and don't flame me. I burn easily.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki or Avatar: The Last Airbender. They respectively belong to Kazuya Minekura and the two men who brought us Avatar, DiMartino and Konietzko. I do own Ozawa though, she's my baby.

Warnings: May contain mild to strong language, usage of tobacco and alcohol, violent scenes, senseless violence, innuendo, possible cases of OOC-ness, yaoi, lime squares (and eventual lemon squares).

Rating: T (might go up in the future)

Pairings: 39 (Sanzo/Goku), 58 (Gojyo/Hakkai), Kataang (Aang/Katara), Zuko/Mai, Sukka (Sokka/Suki), Toph x (?), more pairings will come up in future chapters (I'm open for some suggestions on who's gonna pair up with Toph…the Duke is a likely candidate).

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Special thanks to:

Kat and Fall, my betas and dear friends.

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Chapter 1: The Unsettling Peace

Water…

Earth…

Fire…

Air…

It has been three years since the war and the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai…and the world was still rebuilding its relationship with the Fire Nation. Everything has been changed for better or worse, though there are still some who bear a grudge against the Fire Nation after what they've done. There are also those in the Fire Nation that are not too keen with the Avatar's views, but kept silent for the fear of new Fire Lord's wrath. Nevertheless, Avatar Aang, along with his friends, and his lover, Katara, continues to bring back the balance after so many years.

--

"How are the repairs of the Gaipan village?" a voice spoke from an alter-like throne, surrounded by hot flames.

Seated upon the throne was a handsome young man, who by appearance looked to be around his late teens. His dark hair was pulled up in a top-knot and decorated by a five-pronged headpiece in a shape of a flame. He was dressed in dark crimson robes with touches of black and tinged with gold. His complexion was fair, but what really distinguished his features was the scar on the left side of his face, left over from a burn.

"Everything is going well, my lord," the fire sage reported. "So far, there has been no trouble during the rebuilding of the village. And judging by this, it is safe to say that there won't be any disturbances in the near future during the repairs of the other villages in the Earth Kingdom."

The young fire lord gave a nod, "I'm glad. Send word to the South Pole about this, I'm sure that he would be pleased to hear of this news."

"I understand, Fire Lord Zuko." The elderly man replied as he bowed and exited the throne room.

Nineteen-year-old Zuko sighed as he rolled his shoulders backwards underneath his royal robes. Being fire lord was not as easy as it was made out to be…but it was worth it, if it meant that the world could be rebuilt, the Fire Nation could redeem itself, and the nations' relationship could be mended. With the help of the Avatar, he will achieve this.

Speaking of the Avatar…

"I wonder how those three are doing."

-

Southern Water Tribe…

"Alright, pupils," a beautiful young brunette woman said to a small group of children. "The first lesson that we're going to learn is "streaming the water". It involves with sinking and floating. Observe…"

The woman inhaled before exhaled as she took a stance in front of the shoreline and shifted her weight back and forth in her legs, while moving her arms in a slow, rhythmic motion. The children watched with awe as the water danced with her movements. A smile formed on the woman's lips as she brought her arms back and raised them high, a wave followed, surging over the sea.

The children were amazed beyond words at this technique.

"That was amazing, Sifu Katara!" a young girl piped up.

Katara looked over to the children; her sapphire blue eyes glowing with kindness.

"Alright, now everyone knows what to do?" she asked. Her smile widens as she sees all hands raised up. "Ok…" then she looked up and saw a familiar figure in yellow-orange monk robes, standing not so far way, staring into the horizon. His head was shaven but what made him stand out more was the blue arrow tattoo trailing down his forehead and disappearing down in his collar.

Katara stared at him with concern before turning back to her students.

"We'll continue our lessons later…alright, kids?" she told the class in a gentle tone.

"Yes, Sifu Katara!" the children chorused before running off to play, leaving Katara alone.

The brunette smiled as she watched them run back to the village before walking over to the monk and avatar; her beloved.

"You'll catch cold if you stay there long enough, Aang." She told him gently, walking up to his side.

Aang looked over to his lover in surprise. "Katara…" his voice was tenor in sound, not too high but at the same time not too low…it was perfect.

"Is there something on your mind, Aang? You've been out of it for a while now."

"Am I?" he asked with a sad smile, before looking back at the horizon.

Aang had truly grown the past three years…he had grown to be taller than Katara, but still about a few inches shorter than Sokka. She could tell that he was slightly muscular, even though the robes hid that factor. His face was that of Adonis, enough to gain any woman's attention, with or without hair.

"It's just that…it's been three years, Katara," he spoke and the waterbender could sense sorrow in his tone. "And I haven't seen one Air Nomad or another sky bison. I don't know if I can rebuild the Air Nomads before I die…but if I don't, then…"

He felt the arms of his lover wrapping around him, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"You worry too much," she told him in a sweet tone. Her sapphire blue eyes shine with gentle warmth and kindness, the same eyes she held since the day he woke up from a 100-year sleep within an iceberg. "I'm sure that there are other airbenders out there…we just need to know where to look."

Then she leaned in and kissed him softly upon the lips. Smiling, Aang kissed her back, before allowing her to lead him back to the village, hand-in-hand.

-

Fire Nation Capital…

-Royal Place Gardens-

"Pretty quiet tonight, don't you think?" a royal palace guard asked his partner as they went on patrolling in the gardens.

"Yeah…too quiet for my taste." His partner replied as he looked around, gripping his spear tightly. "We should keep on our toes tonight…I have a bad feeling about this."

As they both turned a corner, a figure dressed completely in black leaped down from a tree and looked around his surroundings. Seeing that the coast was clear and guards were nowhere in sight, he sprinted over to the shadows. He poked his head out a bit to take a good look at the palace windows. All of them are dark, all but one.

His violet eyes narrowed when he saw the shadow of his target.

"I finally have you, Fire Lord…"

--

Zuko dipped his brush into the ink before continuing to stroke out the characters onto the rice paper, as, unknowingly, shadows danced near him from the small lamp. He continued to write his letter to his uncle in Ba Sing Se, when a servant entered his room and knocked on his opened door.

"It's late, milord, you should get some rest." He suggested, before bowing.

Zuko looked over to the attendant and flashed him a kind smile. "I will, when I finish my letter to Uncle, thank you." The attendant smiled back before bowing and taking his leave.

Zuko turned back to his letter and continued writing. As he wrote, he suddenly heard a noise. He looked over to his bedroom door that was left slightly opened by the servant.

"Hello?" he spoke out, waiting for an answer.

But nothing came; only silence met his ears.

Sensing danger, he narrowed his amber eyes; he stood up from his desk and cautiously walked towards the door. He leapt out into the hallway into a defensive stance, in case the intruder happened to be armed. Zuko looked both ends of the hallway, both of them were empty and void of any presence. However, learning from his past experiences, he kept his guard up.

_For all I know, it could be a cat that snuck in…_Zuko thought to himself. _But then again, it sounded to be too big to be a cat. _

Keeping his guard up, he walked down the dark hallway. Each corner was darkened with shadows, and the wind blew softly at the curtains, creating an eerie atmosphere. It was enough to send chills down a spine of the bravest man.

But Zuko was the fire lord…therefore, must not show fear no matter what the case was.

His golden eyes darted from left to right as he turned the corner, still keeping his hands up in a defensive stance. He continued to patrol the hallways but, after some time, came to the conclusion that it was either just a cat or his imagination.

"I guess it's just nothing after all…" he said to himself before beginning to head back to his room.

"Oh, yeah?" a gruff voice asked.

Zuko gasped as he quickly turned around and the next thing he knew, he felt something connecting with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, sending him backwards. The young fire lord quickly sprang back with his hands and onto his feet before he made contact, again, with the floor. He glared up at the attacker, wanting to know the face of the man who dared intrude into _**his **_palace without being detected by guards.

The attacker before him was dressed in black; from head to foot. Half of his face was covered by a black cloth, his amethyst eyes coldly peering at him in the light of the moon. Wait…_amethyst…_?!

_I never saw eyes colored like that before…_Zuko thought to himself in awe and astonishment. _Is he an assassin? I haven't heard of anyone having a grudge against me._

The "assassin" stared at Zuko coldly before speaking in a nonchalant tone, "_You're _the fire lord? You're just a brat."

Needless to say, Zuko was taken back by that comment. This is the first time that anyone had the balls to call him a brat right in his face. He even questioned his position as the fire lord! And…hadn't he been in this situation before?

"Well…you're just a…guy who dressed up like a ninja." Zuko mentally smack himself in the head at how lame his come-back was.

_Ok, that was bad._

The assassin stared at him blankly before responding to the young fire lord, "If you're going to try and insult me because I called you a brat, you should have at least thought of something better than that."

Zuko groaned as he felt his dark eyebrow twitch.

_That jerk… _he thought angrily.

"Tell you what…let me kill you right here and now, and I'll be on my merry way, deal, you stupid brat?" The assassin asked, whipping out a tanto dagger and twirling it in his fingers before springing towards Zuko in offense.

Zuko dodged the assassin's advances, avoiding using his firebending, in fear of setting the palace on fire. The young fire lord let out a hiss when he felt pain shooting across his cheek and blood oozing out of his face. This man seemed to be well trained in the deadly arts of assassination as he hardly felt the blade when it slashed across his skin.

_He's too fast…I can barely dodge his moves. And even worse than that, I can't firebend without setting the palace on fire. _

The assassin read his mind.

"What's the matter, brat?" the older man taunted. "Can't use your firebending or call up your guards to help you?" Zuko ducked down when he saw the knife coming at him and barely blocked the kick that followed. "Or maybe you're just too much of a chicken-shit to do so?"

The teenaged fire lord glared up at the latter before catching his hand when it was about to hit his chest.

"I'll show you…" then with that, he performed a perfect grappling throw on the assassin, tossing him behind and causing him to fly across the hallway and crash into a vase. Zuko quickly sprang onto his feet and secured the man in a stranglehold before knocking his hand hard on the floor to make him drop the knife. He smirked as he looked down at the older man.

"So, am I a chicken shit now?" he asked in a taunting tone, earning a gruff grunt from the latter.

"Fire Lord Zuko!"

Hearing his name, he looked up and saw a small group of guards running towards him.

"About time that you came…" Zuko said, though grateful that they came.

"Is this the intruder, milord?" one guard asked.

The scarred man nodded before responding, "Yes, he is. He's the assassin sent to take my life. I don't know who wants me dead, but we'll find that out after questioning him."

"Understood, milord." The captain of the guards nodded. Then he called over his shoulder to a couple of his men, "Alright, take him in."

"Yes, sir," they said in union before walking over to the assassin. Zuko released when they firmly grasped his arms and forced him onto his feet. The black-clad man glared up at the young fire lord coldly, as the latter glared back.

"When I find your employer, I promise that his punishment will be harsher than yours." He told him.

Zuko heard a "tch" from the other man and saw his violet eyes narrowing.

"You're really are a stupid brat, aren't you?"

He then jerked his arms out of the guards' grasp, before pushing them back. The sound of moving air was heard and two blasts of air was sent after them, which caused the guards to fly back hard against the opposite wall. He averted his attention towards another guard that was advancing on him with a spear. He spun and kicked the spear blade off of the staff...even though his foot didn't make contact with it. Then the assassin took a defensive stance, ready for the remaining guards, as Zuko stared at him in complete shock.

He could recognize that stance and those movements anywhere…

_It couldn't be…_he thought with disbelief.

"Shackle him!" the captain guard cried out.

The guards didn't waste time, but they still weren't fast enough. The assassin blew them back with a strong gust of wind, before sprinting off towards Zuko, as another knife swished out of his sleeve and into his gloved hand. The golden-eyed man, however, saw this coming and thinking quickly, he grabbed the shackles that were hanging from the captain guard's belt and ran towards the assassin as well.

He leaned back when he saw the blade coming, capturing the other man's wrist with one of the cuffs and threw him hard into the wall, pinning him there. He cuffed the other hand before the assassin could do anything else. He was going to confirm his theory.

Zuko stepped back as the captain guard grabbed the assassin and forced him onto his knees before the fire lord.

"Now to show who and what you are…" he said as he reached for the mask.

The mask came off effortlessly, revealing golden hair and...

As the golden locks fell against a pale forehead, Zuko and the guards were shocked at their discovery. The assassin looked up at the shocked men, scowling at them with a chilling glare in his eyes. Zuko could clearly see the cold hatred in those haunting amethyst eyes, but his attention was not on his eyes…but on his forehead.

For on it, there was a tattoo…of a blue arrow…

The mark of an Airbender.

-

Please review…the airbending assassin's identity will be revealed in the next chapter. (Though, you all might know already…)


	2. Chapter 2: Last Airbender No More

New chapter of The Rejected...how will Aang will react to this?

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki or Avatar: The Last Airbender

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Chapter 2: Last Airbender No More

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WARNING: May contain strong language from you-know-who's mouth.

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Kudos to: Kat and Fall

-

"_Master, what are you doing?" a young boy asked. "Aren't you supposed to be inside lecturing?"_

_An elderly man in his near 50s looked up from his paper-folding and smiled kindly to his favorite young pupil. His pupil was a monk-in-training, scowling the same stern scowl as he clutched the straw broom in his hand. His shining blond hair and piercing violet eyes made him stand out among the many trainees of monks. _

"_Ah, Kouryuu," his master spoke, pausing on the last fold of his project. "I was about to finish this, would you like to see it?"_

_Kouryuu stared at his master curiously as the older man held up a strange orange folded piece of paper. It was almost shaped like a dart and the wider end spread out like wings, almost like a glider-staff. _

"_What is it, Master?" the blond child asked. _

_The smile on his master's lips widens before he replies proudly, "When I was your age, Kouryuu, I invented a technique in paper folding. I called it aerogami, and from it I made an air flyer." Kouryuu stared at the strange piece of "aerogami" before spotting a large pile of orange origami paper. _

That's a lot of origami paper…_Kouryuu thought to himself before returning his attention back to his master. _

"_Kouryuu, my dear apprentice, to be quite honest…this would be the only thing I could teach in a lecture." His master admitted before aiming the air flyer towards the clear blue sky and then, gently, he threw it._

_Kouryuu watched in amazement as the air flyer sail through the blue sky, flying in harmony with it. _

"_Isn't it beautiful, Kouryuu?" he heard his master ask. "The blueness of the sky brought out the orange from that air flyer; their complementary colors allow them to dance in harmony, like the Moon and the Ocean spirits of the Water Tribe. They balance and complete each other…"_

_Then he laughed lightly before turning to the younger monk, "I'm sorry, I'm just boring you, aren't I?"_

_The blond shook his head, still watching the air flyer as it glided through the blue sky. _

"_No…"_

It really is beautiful_…_

-

The golden-haired man groaned as he woke up, only to find out that he couldn't move his arms and legs. He saw that his feet were chained down to the ground and his arms to the two pillars. His violet eyes narrowed with irritation as he finally remembered the situation he was in.

"Well, fuck." He muttered.

"From what I heard, Air Nomad monks aren't supposed to swear."

The blond monk looked up and saw the young dark-haired teen leaning against the door of his cell, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't dressed in his usual royal garb, just normal, casual clothing that made it hard to distinguish him from a Fire Nation commoner. The man just glared at him coldly.

"And where did you hear that, Fire Lord Fry-Face?" he asked, mocking him.

That very remark would have immediately make Zuko explode, but instead, amazingly enough, he inhaled and exhaled a breath of air before speaking to the airbender again.

"Don't call me that, I'll have you know that you're in no position to make smart remarks such as that. Besides, just take a good look at the situation you're in. You can't airbend when you are chained up like that.

A smirk appeared on the airbender's as he kept on glaring at the young teen.

"Then what are you waiting for, huh?" he taunted. "My arms and legs are both chained up in this lovely room that you reserved for me, and like you said, I can't airbend. So why didn't you fry me up while you still have the chance? Well, say something, you fucking little war-hungry murdering midget."

To the older man's surprise, the golden eyes of the scarred fire lord soften.

"You were actually after my father, weren't you?" he asked.

He heard a grunt from the blond as he looked away from him. Zuko automatically figured that it might be a yes.

"It's alright now…he's already been judged for what he had done to the world…what he had done to your people," he reassured him, hoping that it might at least give him some comfort. "The century-long war is finally over…all thanks to the Avatar. Now maybe you can…"

"The…Avatar?" the Airbender asked. "As in…Avatar Aang?"

Zuko blinked in confusion but nodded. "Well, yeah…"

"That fucking traitorous coward who abandoned the Air Nomads a hundred years ago and left them to die by your peoples' hands!?" he questioned, steaming in anger as the chains that bounded him rattled.

The young teen became worried by the display. He might have underestimated the guy's strength, which could mean that the chains might give in.

Zuko was completely aware about the past sins that his forefathers and what his nation has had to do as a result of them. And he held no anger for anyone who chose to express their grudge on those sins. But, by mouthing off one of his best friends, the bastard had stepped onto personal grounds, putting limits onto his patience.

"Take back what you said about Aang!" Zuko yelled. "I don't really care what you called me and I don't care for the fact that you're a surviving airbender, those who disrespect my friends…disrespect me."

"Tch, whatever…" the man scoffed. "If you really feel that way…then why don't you just firebend my ass right now?"

That offer was, now, truly tempting to Zuko. He raised his hand up towards the airbender, almost as if he was really going to firebend him. But, he suddenly lowers his hand at the last minute.

"I'm not going to firebend at you." He said, before opening the cell door.

The blond glared at his back before taking a breath and blowing out a strong gust, knocking the fire lord as soon as he opened the door. Zuko let out a cry as he fell hard against the stone floor. A couple of the guards rushed in, with their spears brandished and ready to defend their Fire Lord. But Zuko stopped them before picking himself up and looked over to the older man as he dusted himself off.

"Blow hot air all you want…it's never going to change anything." He told him, before leaving with his guards following behind.

As the door shuts, the blond airbender lets out an annoyed "tch".

-

The throne room…

Zuko leaned against one of the pillars near his throne as he thought long and hard about his visit to the airbender.

_I never heard that there are any surviving airbenders around. But how did people miss him? The guy has golden hair and violet eyes. Was he touched by a spirit? _

Zuko shook his head as he ruffled his dark hair, "Nah, it couldn't be." He muttered.

"Fire Lord Zuko." A fire sage spoke, as he came in.

Zuko looked up and saw the fire sage that bowed before him in respect.

"What's up, Shyu?" he asked.

"I've already prepared the message to Avatar Aang," he reported. "Was there anything else that you like to add?"

Zuko raised a single eyebrow at this. Maybe this might be a good time to inform Aang about this discovery. Might be a shock, but at least it could reassure him that he is not the only airbender in this world. "Actually, I do, fire sage Shyu…may I please have a look at that message?"

The elder man bowed to him in approval. "Yes, my Lord." He said, holding out the rolled up message.

--

Zuko walked out to the balcony of his room, with a messenger hawk perched upon his forearm. He gently stroked the bird's head before taking the rolled up message from his belt. He opened the canister and placed the message inside it before looking at the messenger hawk.

"To Aang in the South Pole." And with that, the messenger hawk lifted its wings and took off to the horizon as Zuko watched it go.

--

As Zuko walked through the palace, one of the servants ran out over to him before stopping, bowing before him despite the shortness of breath.

"What is it?" he asked. "If it's about the message, I already sent out a messenger hawk and..."

"It's not that, my lord," he interrupted him. "Forgive me, but there is something that the Great Sage wanted you to see."

Feeling curiosity looming over him, the teenaged Fire Lord followed the servant back to their destination.

-

Southern Water Tribe…

As the sun slowly rose, one of the rays peeked through the small cracks of an igloo that Aang was sharing with Katara. The avatar slowly awoke when he felt the heat of the sun, and looked over to his lover that lay upon his chest. She was still asleep; her plump lips were parted slightly for breath. Smiling, Aang carefully sat up and gently place Katara back down on the bed to let her continue sleeping.

He carefully lifted off the thick blanket off himself and pulled it back up, to keep her warm. Katara sighed with content as Aang kissed her softly on her cheek. After whispering sweet nothings in her ear, he quietly walked out of the igloo. Momo woke up from his sleep by the foot of their bed, and saw that his master was leaving.

He lets out a soft purr before flying after Aang, and perching himself on his shoulder, licking his bald head. Aang smiled as he softly stroked Momo's head before heading outside, to admire the beautiful surroundings of the Water Tribe. Despite wearing only his pants, which exposed himself to the coldness of the morning, he still found beauty within the landscape.

After three long years of rebuilding, the Southern Water Tribe was back to its former glory. It was no longer a small village of small tents and igloos; it was now a huge city, just like the Northern Water Tribe in a way. Aang smiled at this beauty as he walked over to his loyal bison, Appa.

He smiled as the great beast slowly awoke and gave him a good morning lick.

"And a good morning to you, buddy," He laughed softly, stroking Appa's huge nose.

He shifted his gray eyes over to the rising sun, as the three remaining remnants of their respective lost kind watch the sunrise. Aang couldn't help but smile at the scenery, until he saw a particular dot approaching the Water Tribe.

"What the…" he muttered squinting to get a good view, until it came closer. His grey eyes widened when he saw what it was as it came into view.

"A messenger hawk…" he said to Appa and Momo as the bird landed upon his forearm.

He opened the canister and pulled out a rolled up parchment and opening it. He quickly scanned over the message before smiling to his friends. "It's from Zuko, it seems like things are about to go smoothly in the Earth Kingdom villages," he said. "If this keeps up, then everything else would have paid off."

Appa let out a soft rumble in response.

"I know, Appa, Sokka and Katara are gonna be so happy once they read this…" then he stopped when he noticed that there is more on the back. "There's more…"

As he read the last remaining characters, Aang's grey eyes widen with shock.

"It…it couldn't….it couldn't be…"

-

Until next time…please review.

Translator notes:

Air flyers – Another name for paper airplanes, surprisingly, "aerogami" is an alternate name for this type of origami.


	3. Chapter 3: The Metal Weapon

Just so that everyone know, I made the last scene of the Airbender's (that's what we're gonna call him for now) imprisonment similar to the scene where Aang was captured by Zhao from the episode/chapter 13, "The Blue Spirit". I mean…what else could be effective to bind an airbender?

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I do not own Saiyuki or Avatar

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Chapter 3: The Metal Weapon

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Last Chapter:

"It…it couldn't…it couldn't be…"

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Kudos to Fall

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_Kouryuu tried to hold back his tears as he lay upon his stomach, feeling a sharp pain moving up his spine. He could feel numerous pricks from a needle-like object from one of the monks as he pulled the needle away to wipe away the blood from the wound before dipping into a bowl of blue ink. _

_He would have shed tears and cry out in pain if it weren't for Koumyou's presence. If he did, it would prove his weakness. Though, he did begrudgingly agree to shave his head to earn his arrow. _

_Oh, well…he'll just let his hair grow back later. _

_He clenched his teeth again when he felt the needles digging deeper and deeper. Red blood trickled down his back as the blue ink sinks into his skin. He then felt the comforting squeeze from his master, reminding him that everything is going to be over soon. _

_A small smile appeared on the child's lips as he laid his head upon the pillow. _

Master Sanzo…_he thought in bliss. _I told you, I'll make you proud.

-

Katara sighed as she snuggled into the warmth of the blanket that was covering her, searching for the body of her beloved. When she found out that was only fabric of the bed beneath her, Katara realized that Aang was not with her. Worried, she looked around for any sign of him, and then she realized that she hasn't seen Momo either.

Katara saw the footprints leading out from the igloo, and looked outside the village for her lover. It didn't take long for her to find Appa, along with Momo and Aang. She smiled as she walked over to her three beloved friends, but not before taking a warm blanket to wrap with. However her smile slowly began to fall when she saw that familiar posture as he stared at a piece of paper in his hands, the very same thing when he was forced to learn the truth from three years ago.

The snow crunched beneath her bare feet as she approached Aang. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his waist in concern. "Aang…Aang, what's wrong?" she asked.

The avatar did not respond, instead, he handed the letter over to her. Curious, she skimmed over the characters before speaking, "Zuko said that the rebuilding of the Earth Kingdom villages were going well, what are you upset about?"

"There's more..." Aang spoke softly.

Katara stared at him before turning the rice paper over, and read further. As doing so, her sapphire blue eyes widen in shock.

"This can't be true…" she whispered.

_Aang…you're no longer the last airbender._

-

The Royal Palace throne/meeting room…

"So, what's up?" Zuko asked as the servant lead him to the throne room. Inside was the Great Sage himself, accompanied by others alike him.

"You have an assassin in the cells, correct?" the Great Sage asked.

"Yes, Great Sage." The young Fire Lord replied. "But may I ask for what reason have you need to see me?"

"This, my Lord…"

The older man made way for Zuko to see a strange object on the table: a small metal barrel bearing on its own handle what looked like a Yin-Yang symbol.

Zuko cautiously picked it up, surprised by its heavy weight despite its small size. He saw what looked like a wheel, and then touched it to turn it. It made a clicking sound. For some reason, there is something about it that made him uncomfortable.

_Almost as if it's going to take my life if I make a wrong move…_He thought to himself.

-

The Airbender's cell…

The golden-haired Airbender looked around his cell; his face was cold and expressionless.

"Wonder if they would let me use the bathroom?" he said to himself.

-

This is all I have…please review.

TBC…

Next chapter…Aang will journey to the Fire Nation to meet the alleged Airbender. How will this meeting affect the two remaining survivors of their extinct race?

Preview to the next chapter of The Rejected:

"What in Spirits' names is this?"


	4. Chapter 4: The Brief Reunion

Sorry, for the long absence…computer troubles and that Hellish Inferno known as school kept me busy. Hopefully, nobody thinks I'm dead…and made the funeral…any who…please enjoy the fourth installment of The Rejected. Oh, and as for those who are wondering, this story is taking place three years after the war.

As usual, I don't own Saiyuki or Avatar…they both belonged to their respective creators.

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Last Chapter…

"Wonder if they would let me use the bathroom?"

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SHOUT OUT TO FALL FOR BEING A GREAT FRIEND AND BETA!!!!

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Warnings: Possible OOC, random Sokka spazzness, swearing, and recollections of certain memories

Chapter 4: The Brief Reunion

The image of the chained golden-haired airbender was reflected in a lotus pool, until a single lotus petal fell softly upon the reflection, breaking the image apart. A beautiful woman smirked to herself as she plucked another petal from the flower she was holding, before letting it fall into the pool. Her dark hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and golden hoop earrings hung from her ears. The silky white dress was cut high at the thighs to show off her long bare legs.

The golden bracelets jingle together as she was about to pluck another petal, but she stopped midway when she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"Ah, Jiroshin, so nice of you to drop by," She spoke without a glance. There was a tone of amusement in her voice.

The middle-aged man bowed before her in respect. "I see that you are observing the Mortal Plains as usual, Lady Kanzeon." He observed, walking up by her side.

Jiroshin looked down at the pool, his grey eyes widened in shock at the image.

"My lady…is that…who I think it is?" he asked.

The smirk grew wider on Kanzeon's lips as she pluck the petal before letting it fall into the pool.

"Yes, Jiroshin…it is." She responded.

The grey-haired man looked up to her with a questioning expression. "Aren't you going to help him?"

Kanzeon plucked one more petal before shifting her violet eyes over to her underling; mischievousness danced in her eyes as she held the single petal up to face.

"Now why would I spoil something like that?" she asked, "Besides, the fun is just starting."

With that, she threw the petal directly onto the blond man's face one more time, to see it shatter in the pool's surface.

Jiroshin couldn't help but sigh through his nose. Above all spirits in this world, why did he have to work under her?!

-

Southern Water Tribe…

Snores and inaudible mutters filled Sokka's ice-walled room. He tossed and turned in his polar leopard fur bed, muttering unintelligently in his sleep.

"No…no…."he muttered. Then he shot up from his bed, shouting "PLEASE DON'T EAT ME, GIANT MUSHY FRIEND!"

He breathed heavily as he willed his rapid heart to beat slowly; his sweat dripped down from his brow to his bare chest. As his heart started to beat calmly and slowly, Sokka let out a relived sigh before letting his weight bring him back to his bed.

"Just a dream…thank the Spirits…" he said to himself as he dragged his hands down his face. "I gotta lay off the sea prune stew for a while…"

He lay upon his bed after a while before sitting up, swinging his legs over the bed.

"Well, gotta get some breakfast…wonder what we're having today?" he said.

Just another typical day for Sokka of the Water Tribe…at least, that's what he thought.

--

Sokka hummed a small tune as he walked out of his igloo, dressed warmly against the elements of his newly rebuild village. He still could not believe that it has been three years since the war. Three years ago, he was just a wanna-be who wants to play soldier in the South Pole…now he's a full-fledged warrior in his own right, thanks to one of his best friends, Avatar Aang. If it were not for Katara and himself – having releasing Aang from that ice berg - they wouldn't have seen the whole world, they wouldn't have met new people. He wouldn't have met the love of his life, Suki.

The 18-year-old man sighed in content at the sight of his village. It was the way he remembered when he was small, tranquil and beautiful. With the help of their sister tribe in the North Pole, he had a feeling that it was going to be a new era for them to reconcile.

_I wonder where Aang and Katara are now. _He thought to himself.

He had long accepted their love for each other long ago…Sokka couldn't help but remember that time long ago…

_Three years ago…_

"_Hey, Sokka?" _

_Sokka looked up from polishing his newly found meteor sword (while resting his broken leg) to find Aang standing by the door of his bedroom. It took excruciating hours for Team Avatar to look for his precious sword in the Wulong forest. He doesn't want to know what he would do without it…it's like losing a part of himself…like having a really long arm chopped in half._

…_Or, like his joke, losing a second head._

"_What's up, Aang?" he asked. _

_Aang bashfully walked in almost looked like he wanted something off of his chest but reluctant to do so. He had noticed that he had been that way since the Loser Lord Ozai's defeat. Or was it, King-of-getting-His-butt-whooped? Either one; they sounded catchy._

"_Well…you know that you, Katara, and I have known each other for a whole year, right?" Aang asked._

_Sokka nodded as he responded, "yeah?"_

"_And…do you remember our talk about…you know, girls back in Makapu village (1), right?"_

_The older teen scrunched his face in remembrance, until he finally remembered the village that took that fortune teller's predictions seriously. _

"_Oh, yeah…that…" he said, almost sounded like a groan. Then he straightens up. A big grin replaced a distressed frown on his face. "It's about that girl who likes your big ears, right? What was her name? Meng?"_

_Aang shook his head._

"_No, no, no…I don't like her like that," he cleared it up. "I mean, I do…but not like-LIKE; if you get what I mean."_

"_I think I do, Aang…" Sokka said. But Aang somehow doubted it. "So, who do you actually like?" _

_The older boy saw a blush appearing on the Avatar's face as he stammered out his answer._

"_Actually…it's more like…love." He muttered the last word sheepishly. _

_A dark eyebrow was raised as he stared at the airbender. Well, this is getting interesting. _

So, Aang has a thing for someone after all…

"_Alright, spill it…who do you LOVE?" Sokka prodded. _

"_Well…um…"_

"_Come on, just say it."_

"_It's just that, it's complicated and…"_

"_I'll beat it out of you with my sheath and on only one leg!"_

"…_You know that you can't do that, right?"_

_The water tribe boy shrugged sheepishly. "Thought it might sound cool…anyways, seriously, air boy, who is it that you are so in love with?" Sokka continued to prod until Aang was near his breaking point. _

"_IT'S KATARA, ALRIGHT!!" Aang outburst, almost sending the older teen back. "It's…it's Katara…" he repeated in a quieter tone. Sokka collected himself and stared at the airbending avatar, waiting for him to continue. _

"_I fell in love with her when she freed me from that ice berg," Aang admitted. "I thought it was just a crush at first…but as time went on, I realized how much I love her. I even kissed her at the invasion…" then he paused to see how Sokka react at this revelation, but surprisingly, he's calm. Aang took it as a good sign and continues on. "You remember that play we saw in Ember Island? (2)"_

_A look of grimace was evident on his face. Obviously, he doesn't want to._

"_At that time, one of the scenes made me so angry…heh, Katara said that she was confused even after I kissed her."_

"_Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Sokka finally spoke._

_Aang shifted his feet uncomfortably as he rubbed his head awkwardly. _

"_To be quite honest…since you're protective of Katara because she's your little sister and all, I'm afraid that you won't give me…you know, permission."_

_Sokka let those words sunk in before reaching for his crutch and limped over to his friend. The young monk closed his eyes shut as he waited for some kind of assault, like a punch, but he felt a gentle pat on his bald head instead. Confused, Aang reluctantly opened his grey eyes and saw Sokka's serious and stern but understanding expression. _

"_Aang…you've been a part of our family even when we met," he told him in a firm tone. "And there's no reason why I should be in between you and Katara. Heck, my Dad would have said the same thing!"_

"_But…you…"_

"_Hey, I didn't know that it was Katara that you liked at the time…" Sokka admitted. "Even though that play ignites my hatred with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns, that certain scene with actor Katara and Zuko kinda clued me in." Then his trademark grin appeared on his face. "Besides, it's not every day that you have _the _Avatar as your brother-in-law. And don't worry about Katara, Aang; I'm sure that she feels the same way. You have to give her time…just like me and Suki!"_

_Aang laughed a bit at his silliness as the older boy gave him a small noggie._

"_Now let's go get something for us to snack on!" Sokka crowed. "I'm craving for some smoked sea slug!"_

Sokka sighed in content at that memory. Those were the days…he's actually quite happy that Aang was honest about his feelings for his sister. After those times together, they really are meant for each other.

As Sokka finished reminiscing the past, he saw two figures coming towards him, along with a certain flying bison and a winged lemur in tow. Speak of the Devil (3)…

"Hey, guys!" he greeted his sister and future brother-in-law. "I was about to find you two, breakfast isn't gonna eat by themselves. And thankfully, my people-eating food dream didn't come true!"

He waited for some sort of comeback for his lame joke (not that _he _thought is lame), but strangely, all Sokka received was…silence. His joke couldn't be THAT bad, would it?

"Guys?" his voice was laced with worry when he saw the blank faces of Aang and Katara as they stared at a piece of paper in the monk's hands. Silence hung over the air for the moment - well, long enough for Sokka to finally crack.

"Ok, if it's one of the drawings of Appa, then I'm sorry if his horns look like feet coming out of his ears or if his legs are too tiny." Then he turned to the great beast. "No offense."

Appa grunted in response, as if trying to say, "None taken."

Then the oldest boy turned to the couple with a serious face. "But seriously, what's wrong?"

"This…" Katara simply said as Aang hands him over the paper.

Sokka skims over the pamphlet before looking up to them. "There's nothing wrong with the Earth Kingdom villages," he said. "Zuko said that they're doing fine so far, no casualties or anything."

But the airbender shook his head as he pointed the back of the letter. "No…look at the back."

Raising a dark eyebrow, Sokka turned over the paper. As he read the short sentence of the characters, his blue eyes widen with shock.

"No way…is this…"

-

"PATHETIC!"

The two young men trembled before their teacher as she glared disappointedly at them. For a couple of men who are in their late teens, they're no match for a young girl who was fifteen _and_ blind – and not to mention, one of the richest nobles of the Earth Kingdom.

"You two call that moving a rock?" she demanded, "I can make pebbles dance in my sleep!"

One of the men bowed in humble respect to her, despite the fact that much she's making him wet his pants.

"W-we're sorry, Sifu Toph!" he apologized quickly.

"We'll try harder, really!" the second man groveled.

Toph Bei Fong shot them a transparent emerald glare before turning her head to a side and spat; contrasting greatly her delicate-looking and lady-like features. She couldn't believe that these two losers were trained by the big loser himself, Master Yu. He must have softened them up with those lame breathing exercises.

But with her…tutelage, it's going to change all that…but first…

"Fifty push-ups…" She sets her stance into her specialized Earth-bending and bends two small boulders. "…With these boulders on your backs!" She levitates them over to the unfortunate men and placed them on their backs. A sound of them grunting as they kiss the ground reached her sensitive trained ears, earning her a smile of satisfaction.

"And don't even think about stopping for a minute," her sadistic grin broadened, "Or else, it'll be _two _boulders. Now…MOVE IT, LADIES!"

"GAHH! YES, MA'AM!" and within seconds, the two young men were doing pushups like crazy, despite the heavy weight of the boulders upon their shoulders.

Toph smirk a little as she felt the slight trembles beneath her feet, telling her that they're working until they sweat up a storm.

_Yu doesn't even know what he is doing…_She thought. _I'll show them how __**REAL **__earthbending goes._

As she stood in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest, Toph felt the familiar dainty vibrations behind her.

She smiled fondly as Toph turned to the direction to one of her most precious people.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?" she greeted, smiling affectionately at her mother as she approaches.

The demure woman returned her smile to her young daughter. "Hello, Toph," she greeted before looking over to her students, who looked like they were begging for her to convince their teacher to stop. "I see your teachings are as…robust, as usual."

At least, that's the right word for this situation.

"Well, I don't want to be disrespectful to _Master _Yu's teachings," the noble girl replied. "But I believe that his are must making these guys softer than Appa's fur."

Ok, so maybe she wasn't respectful of him at all…her tone _was _rather sarcastic when she emphasized his title. But, hey, he's one of two sorry excuses for earthbenders who try to separate her, Toph Bei Fong, from her only real friends to return her parents and get their pay! Where's the justice in that?!

Her mother couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's brute honesty.

"Hopefully, _your _experience will toughen them up a bit, right?" she laughed softly. Toph turned to her mother's direction and returned a smile to her.

Ever since the war, it took a bit for them to reconcile. When she returned after a long absence three years back, Toph thought that they're still going to have her monitored 24/7 for the rest of her life. But surprisingly, her parents welcomed her with a tight hug and tears. They must have realized that their strict and yet overprotective control drove she away to be with Aang and his friends, and they felt hurt as much as her when she ran away.

What made her really happy is that her parents finally understood her, and made her existence known in Gaoling village. They even allow her to give some tutelage to those who wanted to study earthbending. Not to mention that everything has cleared up the misunderstanding between them and Aang, after believing that they kidnapped her for so long.

Toph heard a familiar squawk of a hawk, and smiled as she held out her arm and felt a pair of claws firmly gripping her arm through her silk robe. "Hey there, Hawky, feeling alright?" she greeted the former Fire nation bird, stroking his feathered neck. Hawky cooed affectionately at the touch as he nuzzled his head against her hand. Personally, she could have picked a better name for the hawk. If Sokka had a weak point, it would be, aside his terrible art, naming things. Though giving Combustion Man's nickname was an exception.

She then heard her mother clearing her throat as she felt her hand resting gently upon her shoulder. "Um, Toph?" she heard her spoke. "I think you should give these boys a break now. They look like they're going to collapse."

To make her statement true, the two boys let out a miserable moan as they struggled with their umpteenth push-up. Toph rolled her blind eyes as she blew up her dark bangs. What a couple of sissies.

With a sigh, Toph sets Hawky upon her shoulder before earthbending the boulders off of her students, hearing them collapse as they groan with relief.

"Alright, ladies, lessons are over for today," she said, hearing gasps of eager happiness from them. Then a half-assed smirk appeared on her face. "But for homework, you have to do ten squats with buckets of rocks."

The boys looked up to her in shock and despair. "What?! You can't be serious!" one of them exclaimed.

"This is teacher's orders; now get out of here, ladies!" Toph barked.

Her students couldn't help but scream as a result and made a mad dash out of the courtyard for the front door. Toph smirked as she can no longer feel their presence. Mrs. Bei Fong sighed through her nose as she shook her head. Her actions may be questionable but they do mean well.

-

Fire nation cell…

The golden-haired airbender sighed as he listened to the groaning sound of his stomach. He looked up and could see the silhouette of one guard outside of his cell. Considering the position he was in, he wasn't able to knock on the door to get their attention.

Well, doesn't hurt to try plan B.

"Hey! Waste of skin, I'm starving in here!" he yelled. "How about some food, huh?!"

He got his response by a loud banging on the cell door, followed by, "Quit your whining, scum! You'll get your food soon, so keep quiet!"

The blond let out a tch as he glared at the guards. They're so fucking dead when he got out…if he got out.

-

South Pole…

"Ok, that's the last of it." Sokka spoke as he threw a pack of supplies on top of the saddle. Appa let out a bellow, as if saying "finally" while Momo perched himself upon one of his horns, grooming his fur.

Katara hugged Gran-Gran warmly before hugging her step-grandfather.

"It won't be long, Gran-Gran and Grandpa," she told them. "We're just going over to the Fire Nation to confirm something."

"What about seeing your friend, Zuko?" Gran-Gran asked. "I'm sure he's very anxious to see you three." The waterbender smiled as she nodded.

"We're also going to see him too."

Hakoda gave his son a big hug before releasing to speak to him, "Sokka, you remember what to do whenever you three go out on a trip?"

The young warrior nodded as he grinned widely. "Always protect little sister and my future brother-in-law!"

The Water tribe chief couldn't help but smile at his son's enthusiasm as he ruffled the younger man's hair. "You've truly grown into a man, Sokka."

Katara smirked playfully over her shoulder. "Too bad, his jokes weren't." she said.

"Hey!" Her older brother protested, pouting childishly.

His younger sister laughed at his childishness before seeing Aang walked out of their igloo, wearing his official Avatar monk robes. Sokka and Katara became serious as they saw their friend and began to recall their conversation earlier…

"_Are you sure about this, Aang?"_

_Aang paused in his packing and looked over to the water tribe siblings. Their concern was evident on their faces._

"_I mean, so far, there hasn't been anyone like you…" Katara spoke, carefully choosing her words. "It could be like at the Northern Air Temple (4), it could be just someone who can glide through air like the Mechanist's tribe…someone from the Earth Kingdom refugees."_

"_Yeah, like some hermit crab who just have some beef with Zuko!" Sokka added. Katara looked over to her older brother with a raised brow. "What?"_

"_Guys, I know what you're thinking," Aang spoke. "But I need to confirm this myself…what if there are other airbenders who survived over a hundred years? Those that went into hiding?"_

_Sokka shook his head as he walked over to Aang. "Aang, be reasonable," he said. "If there are surviving airbenders who went into hiding from the Fire Nation over a century ago, they would have come out of hiding during Zuko's coronation ceremony and your full acknowledgment as the Avatar three years ago." _

_The last airbender let those words sunk into his brain after hearing them. He remembered the time at Zuko's coronation and his announcement of ceasing the war; he had seen the soldiers from the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation locals, the Swamp Tribe, the Water Tribe warriors, the Kyoshi Warriors, even his friends. And so far…he had not seen _one _airbender among the crowd._

_Maybe what Sokka said was right…but…_

"_But…I still wanted to know…" he spoke, almost to himself than to the siblings. "I wanted to know if there are really others like me."_

_Sokka and Katara stared at each other before Aang. The eldest member of Team Avatar let out a sigh before placing an arm around Aang's shoulders. "I guess it can't be helped," then he looked at him straight in the eye. "We're coming with ya."_

_Aang stared at him with disbelief. "Wait, what?"_

_An all-too familiar grin appeared on the latter's face. "You heard me, Air boy!"_

"_N-no, you guys don't…"_

"_But we want to, Aang," his brunette lover spoke as she walked up to him with a soft smile. "And we will. You know as well as us that we won't let you go out on your own. Besides, I already sent two letters to Toph and Zuko."_

_After hearing this, a small smile crept to Aang's face as he looked at his two best friends with a fondness and gratefulness. "Guys, I don't know what to say but…thank you." _

_Sokka just shrugged it off. "Ah, think nothing of it…now let's get packing! I don't want to hear another one of Katara's sobby speech of hope!"_

"_Hey, I'm still here, Sokka!"_

Katara walked over to her lover before taking his hand into hers. Their eyes both meet each other and the sole waterbender gave him a warm smile.

"Ready, Aang?"

Aang returned the smile as he nodded.

"Yeah, let's go."

-

-Few days later-

Gaoling Village, Earth Kingdom…

Toph sighed as she twirled the small tea cup in her hands, relishing the warm sensation to her fingertips and the chirping sounds of the birds in the garden porch. Hawky was with her, just relaxing on his perch, grooming his feathers from time to time. Just about today, the ants have been gathering food like crazy, just going out their merry little way. But that's just one of her earthbending skills through her bare feet.

"Geez…so boring…" she muttered to herself. "It's the weekend, and there are no students to tutor..."

Or in other words…torture.

"…I miss Sokka's lame jokes."

Then as if an answer to her prayers (moaning of boredom), Toph sensed her mother approaching.

"Mom," she spoke.

Mrs. Bei Fong smiled before holding up a rolled up parchment in her hand. "Toph, a message from your friends in the Southern Water Tribe." She said.

The very words made the Toph's ears perk up; the young girl looked over to her mother with eagerness and happiness. "Really, are you serious?" she asked.

Her mother nodded as she unrolled the parchment and began to read the letter out loud, since her daughter is blind.

"Toph, long time, no talk, we're going over to Zuko's place and we're wondering if you want to come. We'll come over to listen to your answer. From Aang, Katara, and Sokka. P.S. from Sokka, is Hawky doing ok?"

Toph laughed softly at Sokka's message. It's quite obvious that guy is attached to that bird.

Her mother looked over to Toph as she lowered the letter. "Well, sweetheart, do you want to go with them? I think they're having a small reunion." She said.

Toph set her cup down as she got up from her porch seat excitedly. "Are you kidding? I'm psyched to meet up with them!" she answered, grinning ear to ear. "I'm gonna go and get ready, I have to spread the word that there will be no lessons in for a while!"

With that, she ran back into the house to change out of her fancy clothes into comfortable ones. Mrs. Bei Fong stared after her daughter before smiling softly to herself.

"Well, my goodness."

-

Fire Nation Palace…

Zuko sat upon the steps to his palace, with the letter in his hand. He finally got an answer from his friends, saying that they might be stopping by in Gaoling to pick up Toph if she was up for joining them. He chuckled to himself as he remembered the blind earthbender. He couldn't help but remember the time when she "went on a life-changing field trip" with him, and it didn't work out so well.

But he had to admit, the way she was raised something he could relate to a bit. Just a bit…

The young Fire Lord sighed as a soft breeze blew gently against him, feeling the cool air through his black tank top. His golden eyes looked up to the clear blue skies, seeing how beautiful it is.

_I wonder if they'll come soon._ He thought to himself.

That is when he saw a familiar large shadow over head, followed by a loud bellow. A smile appeared on Zuko's lips as he stood up when the flying bison landed in front of the steps to the palace. "Hey, guys!" he greeted his best friends as they mounted off of Appa.

"Zuko!" Aang called out, before airbending over to the elder boy and gave him a hug. He was followed by Katara and Toph.

"Long time, no see, Hothead," Toph said. "Well, those three can see. I can't."

"It's been a while," Katara added, with a smile.

"ME NEXT!" Sokka cried happily as he excitedly ran over to them. Seeing him (or in Toph's case, sensing him) coming, Aang and Katara quickly jumped out of the way as Toph simply stepped back. Leaving Zuko open, unfortunately.

The latter could feel the wind pushed right out of him as Sokka clasped him in a bear hug. "Gah, Sokka!" the Fire Lord gasped. He could have sworn he heard his ribs cracking in the latter's grip as it became tighter and tighter.

"Man, am I glad to see you, buddy!" Sokka exclaimed happily. He is completely unaware of his friend's agony. "So, how are ya feelin'?"

All Zuko could muster out a grunt and something that sounded like a plea, "…S….Suffocating!"

Toph crossed her arms over her less than ample chest as she nodded. "Yeah, Sokka…let the poor guy go," she said. "You don't want to explain to Mai how her boyfriend died!"

The water tribe boy finally noticed Zuko's lack of oxygen, and finally released him. Sokka chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Heh-heh, sorry about that, Zu." He apologized.

The older teen straightened out his shirt before waving it off. "Think nothing of it," he said, before his expression became serious. The members of Team Avatar never seen Zuko so serious since…well, actually, he's always serious, when the time called for it at least…

"I'm sorry for making this reunion short…" then he turned to Aang. "But there's something you have to see first, Aang…"

--

Zuko lead the quadruplet into the royal throne room, greeted by the two servants who bowed before them. The scarred teen gave them an appreciative nod and smile.

"Please leave us." He ordered politely.

"As you wish, Sir," one of the servants said, before both of them bow and taking their leave.

Aang watched the servants go before reverts his attention to Zuko.

"What is it that you wanted to show me?" he asked. The rest (with the exception of Toph) stared at the Fire Lord with pure curiosity; their eyes were boring into the one of the eldest member's back.

"And before you can show something, Zuko," Toph piped up. "Be sure to have someone describe it to me or let me touch it to see."

Zuko simply nodded before stepping aside to present what was on the table. Aang and the others stared at the strange metal object before them. It vaguely looked like a weapon. Sokka walked up to the table and picked it up, examining it with a scientific interest.

"Hmm…interesting…" he said to himself, lifting the metal up and down, testing its weight.

Aang stared at it with confusion. "What in Spirits' names is this?" he asked.

"It almost looks almost like a weapon." Katara spoke.

Toph listened to them for a moment before going up to Sokka and grabbed the weapon from him, despite his obvious displeasure. She let her fingertips glide over the object, feeling its texture as she's taking the image into mind. Toph's dark brows furrowed a bit as she examined the object before throwing it over to Sokka, as if tossing a pebble – all thanks to her metalbending skills. The "wolf-tailed" teen almost didn't catch it due to its heavy weight.

"The craftsmanship was not bad," she stated. "Plus, it's not like any weapon that anyone has made in existence."

"Like my space sword?" Sokka innocently asked.

Toph nodded. "Like your space sword."

Hearing this made Sokka pout sadly. Katara rolled her eyes before taking the metal object away from her sulking brother.

"Messing around aside, where did you find this?" she asked Zuko.

Zuko seemed to be reluctant to reply as he spared a glance over to Aang, who seems to be eager to know as much as they do. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself the worst.

"The airbender who tried to kill me."

-

Prisoner cell…

The golden-haired airbender stared blankly at the stone tiles beneath his feet, before sneezing.

-

TBC…

-breathes heavily- Sorry…for the long…wait. This is the longest chapter I've ever written! I know that all of you are anticipating for the long-awaited meeting between Aang and…the airbender (nudge-nudge, wink-wink)…but I have to reschedule that for the next chapter. So, please review…be gentle…and let me rest. –collapse-

Author's notes and/or references:

1 – Book 1 chapter 14: The Fortune Teller

2 – Book 3 the Avatar omake/episode 57: The Ember Island Players

3 – I don't know if they DO have demons besides spirits in the Avatar universe…any theories?

4 – Book 1 chapter 17: The Northern Air Temple


	5. Chapter 5: Aang and the Brutal Airbender

And here's what you all been waiting for…please enjoy.

-

Disclaimer: Again…I do not own either one of the shows. If I did…I would be making money right now. But I'm not.

Warnings: Possible OOC (I'm sorry), swearing, and maybe violence.

-

Many thanks to: Kat and Fall

-

Chapter 5: Aang and the Brutal Airbender (part 1)

-

Last Chapter:

The golden-haired airbender stared blankly at the stone tiles beneath his feet, before sneezing.

-

Everyone stared at the Fire Lord in shock, before one of them finally broke the silence.

"AN AIRBENDER TRIED TO WHAT?!"

Zuko nodded to the shocked Sokka as the girls cleared out their ears, hoping that they won't go deaf.

"It's true…his airbending skills are similar to Aang's." he said. "I think he's the real deal."

"An Airbender wants to WHAT?!" Sokka cried once more.

Aang, on the other hand, was confused-no, more like _baffled _beyond belief. He was having trouble taking everything in.

"A member of my people…kills…" it almost sounded like he's talking to himself than to his friends.

It was obvious to everyone that that airbenders deeply vauled their teachings about peace and preservation of life…and the very thought of taking one would be taboo. The members had to learn the hard way how important that teaching was to Aang when he was pressured to kill the former Fire Lord three years ago.

"I know it sounds crazy, Aang," Zuko soothed sympathetically, showing that he understood his shock. "But I thought your reasoning might help him in understanding that everything has changed. Just try, even if it's just a little bit."

Toph turned her head to Zuko's direction with a raised brow, "Didn't _you _reason him when he attacked you?" she questioned.

A slight cough was heard as Zuko looked over to her, "I did…" he replied, sounding sheepish in her ears. "It's just that…he wouldn't listen."

Katara thought this over before speaking up, "I never knew that someone from the Air Nomads would dare to go against their teachings to not kill…it's just…"

"Where is he?"

Everyone turned to Aang, his expression is unreadable. The avatar looked up to Zuko, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Aang?" the older teen spoke.

"I want to see this man."

-

"_Ow…"_

_Kouryuu winced at the scrape he received while raking the leaves. Damn those bastards…shoving the chore onto him; they singled him out because he was the sole monk-in-training without a shaved head and picked on him because he possessed golden hair. He shot his wound an amethyst glare, before noticing a smell of tobacco smoke._

_He looked up and saw the familiar aging hair of his master behind a maple tree; a pipe in his hand, as smoke evaporates into the air. The young monk sighed as he walked up to his teacher._

"_Excuse me, Master," he spoke. "But isn't against the rules to smoke? Besides…if you want to, you should smoke somewhere so you won't be seen."_

"_Hmm?" his mater responded, looking over to his favorite pupil. "Oh, Kouryuu…" then he turned back to his attention to the sky. "I just came out here to admire the autumn sky. It's so lovely this time of year." _

_The young air nomad tried to resist the urge to roll his eyes at his master's rambling about "nature's beauty"…_

"_That's nice, Master…but that doesn't explain _WHY _you're smoking." He countered._

_The elder monk just took another drag from his smoking pipe before smiling at his ward. "Well, as long as I don't start a fire, there's nothing to worry about." His tone was cheerful as well as jovial. Kouryuu sighed through his nose as he turned his attention to the fallen leaves. _

"_Like I care if you set everything ablaze," he said in a nonchalant tone. "If it saves me the trouble of raking, then so be it."_

_Master Sanzo smiled fondly at him, before his smile falters into slight sadness. _

"_Kouryuu the River Rat…" he spoke. Through the corner of his hazel eye, he could see the never caring expression on Kouryuu's face change slightly. "That's not a very nice name…"_

_He fiddled with his pipe a bit before continuing. "I want to let you know that I'll never force you into anything…especially in trying to befriend those "monks"." The way his master emphasis the last word implied that those monks were only so in name. _

_The blond boy shrugged as he looked down._ "_Don't worry about me, Master, I'm used to it by now…" then he looks up at the sky. "Besides…I don't really hate my name."_

Not at all…

-

The golden-haired airbender stared silently at the stone tiles beneath his feet. He had forgotten how many times he had counted the cracks and tiles. This sucked and not only bounded against his will and given scarcely enough food to live off.

"Airbender…"

The blond kept his attention to the floor, as if it's the most interesting thing in the world since the snail sloth.

"Yes, Koh?" he responded mockingly.

For sadded measure, he lifted his head up and saw his favorite host through the bars of his cell door. Even though he didn't hit a nerve, the airbender couldn't help but smirk.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my _Lord, _I thought it's the Face-Stealer wjp finally came to my rescue by taking my face so I won't see yours."

Then he heard a soft laugh from the outside of his cell then someone shushing to silence the one who laughed. One of the Airbender's golden eyebrows was raised at this before he shrugged it off in favour of staring, well…more like glaring at the Fire Lord.

--

"Ha, ha, that was actually a good one!" Toph laughed as she leaned against the prison wall. "Whoever that guy is, I like him!"

Katara shot her a stern glare, knowing that it would have no effect, and shushed her. "Toph! Not in front of Aang."

"Sorry…" Toph apologized before muttering something like "you've promoted herself to Big Mama Turtle Duck."

Zuko paid no attention to what was happening among his friends; instead he put on a poker face and seems to ignore the prisoner's insult. He returned the glare before responding.

"Nice joke…not quite funny though. Anyway, I thought I might bring a guest to see you."

The blond stared at him apathetically, but the younger man could see the confusion in the latter's violet eyes.

"A guest?" he spoke.

Zuko didn't answer; instead he unlocked the cell door and opened it wide. He looked over and gave someone an approved nod. "You can see him now, Aang." He said.

The said person came into view at the doorway, and needless to say, he wasn't surprised who-and what- that person was.

"So…you're this Avatar Aang everyone was preaching about, huh?"

-

"So…you're this Avatar Aang everyone was preaching about, huh?"

Aang was a bit taken back by the other man's sarcasm when he entered the room. But he is shocked by the latter's appearance. Despite not wearing traditional air nomad garb, he bears marks of an airbender. Unlike the imposter Avatar Aangs he had seen three years ago (1), they were too real to be faux. What really surprised him the most, though, was the man's blond hair...he had never seen anyone sporting that kind of hair color before.

_I wonder…_he thought to himself.

"So…you're an airbender, right?" he asked.

The blond scoffed at the question,"Well, whoopdie fucking doo, you're quite a detective, aren't you?" he sarcastically responded. "So, tell me…what gave me away?"

Aang kept his cool before exhaling through his nose. This is going to be tougher than he thought…

"I just…I just want to know. I mean, I haven't seen _or _met anyone in a hundred years with the same bending abilities as I." he admitted.

The other bender raised an eyebrow at this statement. "So…you've been around for about a century?" he asked.

Aang shrugged as he smiled sheepishly. "Well…I am 116 years old now."

"…Damn…I feel young."

"…are you…really an airbender? A _real_ airbender?"

The golden-haired man stared at Aang straight in the eye and said:

"Tell Fry-Face to release me…and I'll show you."

--

"You want me to what?!"

Aang sighed before repeating what the alleged air nomad had told him.

"He said that if you release him, he'll prove that he's an airbender by demonstrating his skills." He decided to leave out the "Fry-Face" part, fearing for the older teen's ire. He did not want to know how he will react to that particular nickname.

"I've seen him in action when he tried to attack me; I guess it's fair that you need some proof as well." Zuko said as he thought it over. Then he made up his mind. "Alright…but we'll back you up if it becomes dangerous."

The avatar smiled in appreciation as he nods. "Thank you, Zuko."

A smirk was played on Toph's lips as she spoke up.

"Ya know…during your short conversation with the guy, I distinctively heard that guy calling Zu-Zu "Fry-Face"!"

Hearing this, the Fire Lord couldn't help but hung his head low. The other three stared at the eldest member sympathetically before one of them finally spoke up.

"Um…Zuko?"

Zuko lifted his head up and stared at Aang expressionlessly before responding, "Make sure to have him kiss the dirt."

-

The Coronation Temple and Plaza…

Aang stood patiently at the plaza, while the others are doing their own thing to kill time. Toph was picking her toes and Sokka was honing his boomerang skills. Appa was taking a short nap as Momo made himself comfortable in the saddle. Few minutes later, Appa's animal instincts told him that something was coming, rousing him to wake up. He let out a growl as soon as he saw a couple of guards escorting the golden-haired man, signaling the others.

Aang frown slightly when he saw the other bender's hands shackled together.

"Zuko…is that really necessary?" The Avatar questioned.

The Fire Lord stared at Aang before glancing over to the golden-haired man – who happened to met his eye and shot him a death glare- before returning his attention to Aang.

"I have to, Aang," he admitted, sounded regretful. "I have no other choice. It's for our safety."

Sokka glanced over to the said airbender, before taking a double take at his hair.

"WHOA! LOOK AT HIS HAIR!"

Toph looked up from her toe-picking and started to look around fanatically. "What? What?! What about who's hair?!?"

Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes before setting them on the golden-haired man and then stared at him in shock.

"By the Spirits, it's golden!" she exclaimed.

The earthbender listened before speaking up. "Soooo…this guy has like some yellow hair, right? It could be dyed…but what do I know?"

The proclaimed airbender's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he was lead before the Avatar.

"Well, thank you all so much for commenting at my hair. And no, it's not dyed." He replied in a dry sarcastic tone. Then he stared at the cuffs on his wrists. "Now would you be such a generous Fire Lord and get these the fuck off of me?"

Katara stared at the man in shock when he heard such language, while Sokka's mouth hung open like a gaping fish. Toph, being Toph, just snickered at the way the bender talks.

"I'm like this guy already!" she commented.

The brunette shot her a stern glare before turning her attention to the blond man, who glared at the young Fire Nation ruler. Is this man…really one of Aang's lost people?

Zuko glared back at him before giving an approved nod.

"Let him go."

The two guards stared at their lord, as if he had grown another head. "What?!" One of them exclaimed.

"You can't be serious, my Lord!"

"That's an order. Let him go." He said more sternly, staring right through them.

The guards glanced at each other through the corner of their eyes reluctantly before bowing before him.

"As you wish, Sire…" then they both released the golden-haired man from his cuffs. The said man rubbed his wrists, making sure that they move just fine.

"Thanks…" he said gruffly, before punching them where the sun refused to shine.

Everyone (with the exception of Toph) stared at him in shock, before one of them recollected himself as he stood up in anger.

"You bastard!"

The golden-haired man let out a huff as he stared at the pathetic men who were clutching their abused "family jewels" while dusting his hands.

"Relax…I'm just showing these guys how grateful I am for taking care of me," then he looked up to Aang, his amethyst eyes were filled with disinterest. "So, you wanna know if I'm the real deal or not, eh, Baldy?"

"Um, yeah…" Aang wasn't fazed by the name "Baldy"… he's just shocked by the "fellow air nomad's" way of expressing his "gratitude". Sort of…

The blond casually walked down to the plaza, while purposely ignoring the two guards that were in extreme pain. The man took a deep breath before taking a stance that was familiar to Aang, something that he had seen in his childhood. Then he performed a few punches and kicks, generating some air as the avatar watches in amazement. It has been too long since he had seen another airbend.

The golden-haired man finished his short demonstration off with a flying air kick before landing gracefully on his feet and breathed out for rest as sweat dripped a bit from his brow. He turned to Aang, who was clearly amazed at his performance.

"Well? Satisfied?" he questioned.

Aang was amazed beyond all words. "Yeah…" he managed to speak out.

However, the rest (excluding Zuko) were a bit skeptical.

"I don't know, Aang," Katara spoke up. "It could be some sort of trick."

Toph shrugged at her opinion. "Sounds like a real deal to me." Then she picked her nose after her words.

Zuko was glad that she was blind; otherwise she would have buried him up to his neck in dirt for rolling his eyes at her "feminine" behavior. Would it kill her to be girly for once?

"He could be using some sort of act like the magicians used or something." Sokka suggested, acting like his "logical" self.

The blond raised a golden eyebrow at this as he gazed over at the water tribe warrior with cold amethyst eyes.

"So…you think I'm some sort of fake, aren't I?" he questioned gruffly.

Sokka instantly sense the threatening venom from the man's tone, quickly regretting on speaking his theory/opinion out loud. He felt a lump forming uncomfortably in his throat before swallowing it.

"Um, well…you see…" The feeling of need to go to the bathroom was about to come, and he won't have any time to get there. Or find it, in this case…

"Why don't you get over here to have a close view?" the golden-haired man asked, beckoning him over.

"You know, that's ok, I mean, I'm just…"

"Get. Over. Here. Now. Dipshit."

A threatening glare gleam in his violet eyes, almost as if daring the younger man to decline. Rather than throw his life away and not see Suki again, Sokka took his chance and stood up on his feet and approach the so-called bender. He could feel his heart racing faster at each step; his palms were becoming clammy with cold sweat. He had never felt this much fear since Combustion Man started stalking them and try to kill them.

"Is this good enough?" Sokka asked meekly. He is standing at arm's length from him.

His only response from the older man was just a death glare, before he pointed at the spot next to him, indicating where Sokka should stand.

Silently praying for his life, Sokka has no other choice but to obey. As he cautiously walked up right next to the blond man, the water tribe boy stared at him in the eye and asked for the final time.

"Is this good enough?"

The blond man stared at the distance between him and the pony-tailed boy before looking at him straight in the eye.

"Yes." Then next thing they knew, the blond pushed Sokka with his airbending skills. Katara acted quickly before waterbending moisture out of the air and making it into a cushion against her brother, before he met with the pavement. The brunette sighed with relief before turning to glare at the older man.

"How could you?! He could have been hurt!" Her blue eyes were flaring in anger. How dare he...that…that son of a….

The blond looked away and stared at his nails, looking nonchalant.

"He didn't believe that I can actually airbend…his fault, not mine." He responded, sounding that he doesn't even give a damn on his condition.

The way he talked just fueled Katara's ire. As she set her brother down, Katara glared at the blond once more. There is no way that this…this man could be a member of her beloved's people.

The blond glared at her back before returning to the avatar, who didn't seem to approve his actions either.

"She's right. You can't blame my friend for doubting you and your abilities," he said in his wise sage tone. "And also…you have no right to hurt him…or any other of my friends."

The golden-haired man raised an eyebrow at the plural form of "friend", glancing at the avatar's girlfriend (he assumed), her idiot brother, Fire Lord Fry-Face, and the blind girl. He returned his gaze upon the bald monk; his face is expressionless.

"Friends, huh?" he questioned. "That also includes _him_, right?"

Aang looked over his shoulder at Zuko, before turning back to the other monk and nodded.

"Yes."

The man's violet eyes narrowed before speaking. "You know as well as I do that his people tried to kill us, just because we're airbenders and cannot take a life. Just because they assumed that we're weak."

As he spoke, images of his people, his friends, and his master flashed through Aang's mind, before proceeding to the ruins of the Air Temples…and to Gyatso's corpse.

"I know…" he softly spoke, almost to himself than to the older man.

"Then you should know exactly what I'm talking about, Kid." The tone of the older man's voice became harsher. "We're the only ones left…"

"I do know what you're talking about…" Aang spoke, staring at the other airbender straight in the eye. "And this is not the way. You're angry at whatever Zuko's father done to you, but you have to learn to let that go." He looked over to Zuko and Katara before continuing. "We all learned that."

The blond man listened for the moment before shaking his head slowly.

"No…you're wrong." He spoke as he slowly moved his arm behind his back. "Sometimes hatred is like a disease…it spreads quickly."

Then he bends an airwave towards Aang, and the next thing that everyone knew…they hear a sound of thunder.

BLAM!

-

To be continued…

Author's notes and/or references:

1 – Journey to Ba Sing Se: The Serpent's Pass

Please review.

On the next chapter:

"Do you know how I got my arrow tattoo?"


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